Some problems which the system of the invention (hereafter just “system”) alleviates include: counterfeit trading, product recall, parallel trading, shoplifting and many other forms of theft.
Counterfeiting causes loss of profits to Brand Owners through loss of sales and loss of reputation. A major factor in dealing with the problem is that it is often very difficult for consumers to detect counterfeit items.
Faulty goods often need to be recalled. The problem here is that manufacturers can seldom trace where their goods are at the time they need to be recalled.
Theft in the form of shoplifting in particular is a well-recognised problem within all areas of commercial retail. The problem here is the difficulty of discovering a) whether a thief is leaving the premises with stolen property and b) distinguishing between goods which have been paid for and those which have not.
Parallel Importing costs manufacturers by undercutting the prices they set for a local market. It may also render them legally liable when goods intended for country “A” do not meet the legal standards set in country “B” where the price is higher and being undercut by parallel imports.
Inventory Control. Manufacturers do not know how much stock of their product remains unsold within the supply chain.